DIY Incubator not sure if this temp is okay or what

[SegiDream]

I need some advice or perhaps the green light go ahead. I made an incubator following the instructions on this site: https://www.hobbyfarms.com/build-your-own-egg-incubator/ I didn't make the wooden box. The interior of my incubator looks almost the exact same except I added a small USB operated desk fan to sit beside the 40w light. The fan faces towards the egg/water area, not sure if I should change that?

The main problem I have run into is that the thermostat was letting the temperature fluctuate from 90-106 yikes!!! I watched some tutorials on how to fix that issue. So I drilled 3 holes into the thermostat for more airflow, made a stand so the thermostat is 'free standing' up in the air same height as the light, instead of screwed into the side wall it can now be moved around a bit. The thermostat is now an inch away from the light bulb. And the temperature now rises to 101.3 then it kicks off, kicks back on at 98.7. These are 10-15 minute off cycles and it takes longer than that to warm back up maybe a half hour, I haven't timed the cycles exactly.

The humidity hovers at 70+ but I'm not too concerned I feel like I can tackle that problem with a smaller water container and save the bigger pan for lockdown. I have 2 digital thermometers for verification and 2 glass aquarium thermometers (when placed in water at egg height the temp reads over 99). I'm not sure what else I can do to fix the air temperature fluctuations. I think I have done as much as I can to the thermostat. Maybe I can place a brick or stones in there or cover some holes with tape...? I have a hole for the light box power cable and one for the fan power cable, and two very small holes on the opposite side of the cooler. I'm just kind of lost what else I can do, how many air holes I should leave open for developing chicks, are the temp fluctuations safe enough as is? Or a lost cause? Or?

 

[jher77]

I have been fiddling with water heater thermostats for years for chicken kinds of things, only because it is a part that I can easily obtain, which is what I look at first when I make something. Took me awhile to realize they do not work off of ambient air (That thermostat in the pic is positioned for ambient air by the way). They work off of radiant heat and they really don't have a narrow swing as needed for incubation, but I never tried it to incubate with it.

When I say radiant heat, I mean the actual light beam from the bulb shining on the bi-metal disc portion of the thermostat and the closer the better. So what you would need to do is make a bracket to place the bi-metal disc hole right against the light bulb to have any chance of being successful with an incubator.

I've drilled the 3 holes modification, I've made the holes bigger, and that just didn't seem to make it any more sensitive. I eventually got to the point of just leaving it stock, although I did knock out the rivets and replace with #6 bolts so I could take it apart and clean the dust out (read next paragraph for reason).

I have used them for Ohio brooders to keep the temperature under there in check with something like a 10-15 F temperature swing which is fine for that purpose if you set it around 110 F.

For what it is worth, the lower thermostats (the ones with 2 terminals) are more sensitive than the upper thermostats (the ones with 3 terminals) for some reason.

The Farmers COOP may have a wafer thermostat in stock which works alot better or you could order an Inkbird 1000F temperature controller.

 

[SegiDream]

Well shucks. I went with those instructions because it explained the wiring and everything I just didn't know how wrong it was to use a water heater thermostat. Wiring a wafer looks intimidating and the Inkbird is cost prohibiting. So it looks like I have to scrap it, I can't keep dropping money into something that won't work. Thank you!

 

[Mountain Roost]

Inkbirds are a great investment. I have had great results with an Inkbird ITC-308. I can even use it in the brooder if its not busy in the incubator.

 

[Tonyroo]

You can't afford $14 for inkbird? Don't use that setup material it's not correct but the light is fine.

 

[jher77]

There are two wires with a wafer thermostat. All you have to do is unhook the water heater thermostat wires and hook each to the water thermostat wires. The wafer uses ambient air so it sits in another spot away from the bulb.

If you want to try the water heater thermostat, place it right on the bulb where it is touching it, not an inch away. I don't know if it will work good enough, but it will work a little better.

 

[SegiDream]

You can't afford $14 for inkbird? Don't use that setup material it's not correct but the light is fine.

It's not about affording it, it's about justifying having spent the money on it with an SO looking over my shoulder. I'm sorry if I came off as snarky I'm just frustrated with that thermostat after having read others using it, having fiddled with it for a couple weeks when I have time, getting it so close to working but not. Last night I tried turning the water heater thermostat around with the metal plate side as close as I could get to the light and it still had wild temp swings

When I looked last night for inkbird the search came up with $55-70 power plugs. I looked on the river this morning and I saw this (see pic below), I assume this cheaper one is the inkbird that was meant? I'm a newb at wiring (don't blame me if your new in counter stove with down draft doesn't fire up btw) but maybe I could figure this out with some help, the reviews say the diagram is wrong and that it doesn't explain how to wire it. I like the sound of this one though.

The one in the picture is a 110v, the power plug I have in the incubator is 125v (I also have some extra power cables if needed) is the difference in volts okay? The current set up in the incubator is the white wire from the power cord is hooked to the thermostat and the green ground wire was cut and connected between the light and thermostat. I'm not sure how I would get that to correlate to this. White wire from the power cord to slot #1 and splice it to slot #5? Slot #6 would be the green wire back to the light socket? Black wire into slot #2 and spliced to the light socket?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OXPE8U6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1RUFFFCQ74BCW&psc=1

 

[TOR]

I use a inkbird or also called stc 1000 stc 1000 temperature controller.
There are wiring diagrams I used or similar to this
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/build-temperature-controller/

light bulb setup
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/build-your-own-incubator-with-the-stc-1000.65187/

 

[TOR]

It's not about affording it, it's about justifying having spent the money on it with an SO looking over my shoulder. I'm sorry if I came off as snarky I'm just frustrated with that thermostat after having read others using it, having fiddled with it for a couple weeks when I have time, getting it so close to working but not. Last night I tried turning the water heater thermostat around with the metal plate side as close as I could get to the light and it still had wild temp swings

When I looked last night for inkbird the search came up with $55-70 power plugs. I looked on the river this morning and I saw this (see pic below), I assume this cheaper one is the inkbird that was meant? I'm a newb at wiring (don't blame me if your new in counter stove with down draft doesn't fire up btw) but maybe I could figure this out with some help, the reviews say the diagram is wrong and that it doesn't explain how to wire it. I like the sound of this one though.

The one in the picture is a 110v, the power plug I have in the incubator is 125v (I also have some extra power cables if needed) is the difference in volts okay? The current set up in the incubator is the white wire from the power cord is hooked to the thermostat and the green ground wire was cut and connected between the light and thermostat. I'm not sure how I would get that to correlate to this. White wire from the power cord to slot #1 and splice it to slot #5? Slot #6 would be the green wire back to the light socket? Black wire into slot #2 and spliced to the light socket?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OXPE8U6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1RUFFFCQ74BCW&psc=1
View attachment 2565027

your using the inkbird to break the circuit. There is a internal switch in the inkbird.
One black wire comes in from your power source, spliced with other wires one goes to power inkbird the other goes to 5.
5 input
5 and 6 is your internal switch the black out goes lightbulb. ......................6
ground white wire is similar except it is not broken by the switch.
3 and 4 of course is your sensor.

If your not familiar with electricity I suggest get a book basic electricity, knowledge you carry for a lifetime. Very useful.
The inkbirds or stc 1000 is rated 10 amps so no problem for incubator.
Also if buying a inkbird stc 1000 make sure it is for 110/120 volts as some may be 12 volts.

hope this helps some good luck

 

[SegiDream]

View attachment 2565103
your using the inkbird to break the circuit. There is a internal switch in the inkbird.
One black wire comes in from your power source, spliced with other wires one goes to power inkbird the other goes to 5.
5 input
5 and 6 is your internal switch the black out goes lightbulb. ......................6
ground white wire is similar except it is not broken by the switch.
3 and 4 of course is your sensor.

If your not familiar with electricity I suggest get a book basic electricity, knowledge you carry for a lifetime. Very useful.
The inkbirds or stc 1000 is rated 10 amps so no problem for incubator.
Also if buying a inkbird stc 1000 make sure it is for 110/120 volts as some may be 12 volts.

hope this helps some good luck

Thank you thank you thank you Tor and Jher77, this helps ALOT!! I feel like I can still salvage this and if I upgrade it in the future I could re-use some parts for a more permanent/solid incubator. Except the light fixture, I would want ceramic... So I had the white and the black wires switched and use the black wire instead of green wire out of #6.

I'll read up on the links and some more about wiring while I wait on that to get here. I'm all for being self sufficient it's just that I've shied away from electricity considering how deadly it can be. It's part of my "things that can go boom" phobia. Though I have dabble, just a little bit.

I wired the power cable onto the new stove when we got it.. I pretty much figured that I should match the wires to the color red to red green to green. But my MIL you should have heard her, was very upset, wanted me to call an electrician....